Moving daylight sign



Aug. 27, 1929. J; CASEY 1,726,470

MOVING DAYLIGHT SIGN Filed March 1929 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Aug. 27,1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.mmns s. .GASEY fO F NEW YORK, N. Y.

movnte D'AYLIGHT SIGN.

Application flled March 5, 195:9.v seam... 344.409.

is of simple durable construction, desirablein use and eflicient in action, and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

The invention proposes the use of a casing provided with an open top and an open front side and arranged for supporting a mirror at an inclination between the said top and side, and a sign stencil of flexible material arranged for moving around the said mirror and supported upon rollers, certain of which are rotated by an electric motor for causing the sign to move. Light passing thru. the open top passes thru a portion of theflexible sign stencil and strikes the inclined mirror and thereafter is reflected outwards thru the open front and when seen by by-passers pres sents a moving sign. a A brush is supported within the lower portion of the casing and arranged for automatically dusting the said sign stencil so as to keep it free from dust and clear for the passage of light.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and

to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forminga material part of this disclosure Fig. 1 is a plan view of a device constructed according to this invention. I

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2. I

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational View of the left hand portion of the. device asseen in Fig. 2 with the front left door thereof open.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view oftherighthand portion of the device as seen in Fig. 2 with the front right door open.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a portion of the device as shown in Fig. 2 with the bottom central door open.

Fig. 7 is a detail View of the brush actuating mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to a combined view of Figs. 4 and 5, but disclosing a modified form of the device.

The reference numeral 10 indicates generally a casing provided with a top side; 11 I [and a bottom side 12, front. side 13 and a rear side 14. The topside 11 has a central opening 15 bounded by longitudinalfront and rear sides 16 and 17,. respectively. v

The front side 13 of the casing is provided with a central opening 18 bounded by longitudinal top and bottom" sides 19 and 20, respectively. A front left door 21 is pivotally mounted at itsouter edge on one of the edges of the casing and is provided with a manipulating knob 22. A frontright hand door 23 is pivotally mounted along its outeredge on theright end of the casing 10, and is provided with a manipulating knob. 24. A bottom a central door 25 is pivotally mounted along itsbottom edgeon to the bottom edge of thecasing and is provided with a manipulating bottom longitudinal portions 27 and 28, re; spectively and: an inclined angular central portion 29. A mirror :30 is secured upon the The top longitudinal sides 16 and 17 are pro violedv with spaced grooves 31 on their inner The rear side14 of the casing has top and,

sides and spaced glasses 32 engaged in these grooves. A continuous flexible sign stencil 33 passes between the spaced glasses32 and the casinglO. The rollers 34 onthe left hand extends over rollers 34 supported upon stand.- ards 35 and 36projecting from portions of portion of the deviceare fixed upon shafts 37 which support sprocket wheels 38 and a sprocket chain 39 engages over these sprocket wheels and over asprocket wheel 40 hired on the shaft of an electric motor 41 secured within the casing 10. .End'plates42 are arranged transversely at the ends of. the inclined mirror 30. a

A stencil sign cleaningbrush is mounted j on one end of bell'crank44 which is pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends as at 45 upon thecasing 10 and a link 46 pivotally connects with the free end of the bell crank and with a rack 47 slidably mounted in the casing 10 and engageable with the teeth of a gear 48 having certain of its teeth stripped. A shaft 49 supports the gear 48 and also a ratchet wheel 50 engaged by a pawl 51 arranged to hold the ratchet wheel against rotation in one direction. The hook 52 projects from the stencil sign element 33 and each time this hook passes the ratchet Wheel 50 it engages in one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel and advances itone tooth.

In operation of the device the electric motor 41 is energized for rotating certain of f the rollers 34:. These rollers act as driver rollers and cause the stencil sign element 33' to move in a continuous path around all of the rollers 34, the other of the said rollers 'coacting' as idlers. Light passes thru top opening of the casing, passes 'thru thes'p'aced glasses 32,

the sign element 33 and strikes and is reflected from the mirror 30thru the front opening 18.

Person's viewingthe sign will see a moving sign with charactersas determined by those on the stencil sign element '33.

Each time the stencil sign element makes one complete revolution, hook 52 engages a tooth of the ratchet 50' for turning theratchet one tooth, the pawl 51 preventing back turn ing andtheteeth'of gear 48 moves the rack 47 forwards againstaction of a spring 53 coacting'betwee'n' re-(21:47 and a standard 54 secured on the casing 10; Forward motion of the rack 47 is transmitted by the link and bell crank for urging the brush 43 against the h outer side of the sign element'33; When the stripped portion of the gear 4-8 reaches the rack, the rack is released and is drawn rearwards by the spring 53 for causin the brush 43 todisengage from" the sign e ement, for periodically cleaning thesame from dust and dirt only when in engaged position.

Itisto be understood that stencil 33 may be changed so to feature any" suitable ad'- vertis i-ng words or illustrations.

In the modified form of the device illustrated in Fig. 8- thestandards35 and. 36 are shown supporting a plurality ofrollers 34 and 34; Th'e 'rollers 34 are idler rollers and the rollers 34 arefixed on-the shaft 37. The

Y flexible stencilsign element 33" is wound back this form of'device is similar to the tions coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

preferred Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is 1. In a daylight moving sign, a casing with a top side having a central opening bounded by longitudinal sides formed with spaced, grooves on their inner sides for supporting spaced glasses to guide a flexible stencil sign element, and standards projecting from the interior of the casing for supporting guide rollers to guide the said flexible stencil sign element between the spaced glasses.

2. In a daylight moving sign, a casing with a top side having a central opening bounded by longitudinal sides formed with spaced grooves ontheir inner sides for supporting spaced glasses to guide a flexible stencil sign element, and standards projecting from the interior of'the casing for supporting guide rollers to guide the said flexible stencil sign element between the spaced glasses, doors being mounted on the casing for normally covering the said standards.

3. In a daylight moving sign, a casing with a top side having a central opening bounded by longitudinal sides formed with spaced grooves on their inner sides for supporting spaced glasses to guide aflexible stencil sign element and standards projecting from the interior of the casing for supporting guide rollers to guide" the said flexible stencil sign element between the spaced glasses, doors being mounted on the casing for normally cov ering the said standards,and means for brushing and cleaning the said stencil sign ele-' mentbeing mounted within the casing.

4. In a daylight moving sign, a casing with a top side having a central opening bounded by longitudinal sides formed with spaced grooves on their inner sides for supporting spaced glasses to guide a flexible stencil sign element, and stal'i'dards projecting from the interior of the casing for supporting guide rollers to guidethe said flexible stencil sign element between the spaced glasses, doors being mounted on the casing for normallyc'ov- 'ering the said standards, and means for brushing and cleaning the said stencil sign element beingm'ounte'd Within the casing, said means being arranged to function automatically and periodically.

In testimony whereof have aflixed my signature.

JAMES F. CASEY. 

